DUNSMUIR – If fans came to the Dunsmuir Lady Tigers versus Big Valley Lady Cardinals game expecting just a basketball game on Friday, they got a bonus—a little WWF style wrestling action. While the Lady Tigers attempted to play basketball, Big Valley employed a defensive strategy that seemed to rely on body blocks and two-handed pushes.

The Lady Tigers, however, were not intimidated. Instead, the Dunsmuir girls used basketball skills liberally sprinkled with grit to overcome the Cardinals 37-28.

At the end of a rough and tumble first quarter, the combatants were knotted at 4-4, with Dunsmuir’s points coming on hoops by Jamie Kirch and Jennifer Hope.

The Lady Tigers shut out the Cardinals in the second quarter, out scoring their adversary 8-0. Hope started the scoring with a freebie. Fesler hit a bucket to make it 7-4. Dunsmuir increased its lead to 9-4, when Hope hit Sadie Machamer on a nice back door cut. Another Felser basket and Hope free throw completed the scoring in the quarter, giving the Lady Tigers a 12-4 lead going into the locker room.

Dunsmuir opened up the second half scoring with free throws by Hope and Heather Coe to up its lead to 14-4.  An intentional foul call against a Lady Cardinal for two-handing a Lady Tiger off the court, led to a pair of freebies by Hope, making the score 16-4.

The intentional foul call seemed to send the message that there is a difference between street fighting and basketball, as the Cardinals settled down and scored the next two baskets to make it a 16-8 game. Hope went coast-to-coast for the Lady Tigers pushing the lead back to 10 points, 18-8. Big Valley then went on a 10-4 run to finish the third quarter trailing Dunsmuir 22-18.

After Big Valley scored to cut the margin to a single basket at 22-20, the Lady Tigers went on a 13-2 run to take command of the contest. First, Hope dropped a dime to Fesler, who made it 24-20. Next, Coe powered up for back-to-back buckets in the paint, increasing the advantage to 28-22. Hope added a deuce, and Coe continued her dominance inside with another bucket, making the score 32-22. Hope made a free throw, and Fesler finished off the run with a pair from the charity stripe, upping the lead to 35-22.

Free throws by Hope and Katie McIntyre finished off the scoring for Dunsmuir, as the Lady Tigers earned a hard-fought 37-28 win.

Jennifer Hope led the Lady Tigers with 14 points. Taylor Fesler put up 10, and Heather Coe contributed six.

With the win, Dunsmuir improves to 2-3 in the Evergreen League (7-12). The Lady Tigers will host Tulelake (3-2, 6-14) on Tuesday, February 3.